Fire Outbreak in Ebonyi Health Ministry Destroys Vaccines

A fire outbreak at the Ebonyi State Ministry of Health on a Friday resulted in the destruction of vaccines and property valued at millions of naira. The incident was disclosed by the state Commissioner for Health, Mose Ekuma, during a site assessment.

The fire occurred in Block 5 of Centenary City, Abakaliki, and destroyed vaccines, vaccine carriers, cold chain boxes, laptops, official documents, five refrigerators, two solar-powered refrigerators, 45 solar batteries, hospital beds, and mattresses. The loss significantly disrupted immunization operations in the state, impacting critical vaccine infrastructure.

Although the damage was extensive, no lives were lost. The exact cause of the fire remains unknown, and the facility had been without public electricity supply for five days, with the solar backup system non-functional at the time.

A committee has been set up to investigate the cause of the fire and recommend preventive measures. The state fire service, led by Frank Oka Ota, responded promptly to contain the blaze and prevent further damage to adjacent structures.